Distributor for internal combustion engines



Mam}! 1966 w. KIND ETAL DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINESFiled April 20, 1964 FIG. 1

United States Patent 8 Claims. (Cl: 123-4465 The present inventionrelates to distributors for internal combustion engines.

Distributors of this type normally include a distributor housing inwhich an interrupter means is mounted for turning movement, and amembrane which responds to the pressure in the intake manifold of theinternal combustion engine is operatively connected with the interruptermeans to determine the angular position thereof in the distributorhousing. In addition the distributor assembly includes an ignitioncapacitor connected in parallel with the electrical connection of theinterrupter means to a source of primary current. It is conventional tomount the membrane assembly and the capacitor at the exterior of thedistributor housing so that in this way it is possible to maintain thedistributor housing at a minimum diameter far smaller than would berequired if the distributor housing itself housed the capacitor. Thissmall size of the distributor housing is required in the manufacture ofautomobiles where problems of space for the various components arefrequently encountered and where it is often difficult to convenientlyaccommodate the components of the distributor assembly. However, inaddition to the advantages with respect to space, smaller distributorhousings are less expensive than larger distributor housings. On theother hand, an arrangement of the above type where the membrane togetherwith its housing and the capacitor are located at the exterior of thedistributor housing creates the problem of conveniently connecting theinterrupter in the interior of the distributor housing to the source ofprimary current as well as of providing a parallel electrical connectionbetween the interrupter and the capacitor which is at the exterior ofthe distributor housing.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to providean inexpensive simple structure which will have the necessary electricalconnections between the interrupter and the capacitor, where the latteris at the exterior of the distributor housing, as well as between theinterrupter and the source of primary current.

It is furthermore an object of the present invention to provide aconstruction of the above type where the electrical connections do notcreate any problem in the assembly of the various components.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a structure ofthe above type where the electrical connections do not undesirablyinfluence the compactness of the entire assembly.

With these objects in view the invention includes, in a distributor foran internal combustion engine, a distributor housing and a capacitor andmembrane housing carried by and located at the exterior of thedistributor housing. An interrupter means is supported in the interiorof the distributor housing for turnable movement and is operativelyconnected with a membrane in the membrane housing to have its angularposition in the distributor housing determined by the pressure whichacts on the membrane, the membrane housing being adapted to be connectedwith the interior of an intake manifold of the engine so that themembrane will respond to the pressure in the intake manifold in order toautomatically determine the angular position of the interrupter means inthe distributor housing. In accordanoe with the present invention anelongated conductor means is electrically connected with the interruptermeans and has a pair of branches one of which is electrically connectedwith the capacitor and the other of which is adapted to be electricallyconnected to a source of primary current, and the distributor housing isformed with but one opening for this conductor means which in additionincludes but one plug-and-socket type of connection so that at thislatter connection portions of the conductor means may be separated fromand rejoined with each other.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a partly sectional elevation of one possible embodiment of astructure according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 1 with thedistributor head removed from the distributor housing to show theinterrupter structure therein, the rotary contact assembly fordistributing the current in a given sequence to the several sparkplugsalso being omitted from FIG. 2 so that the interrupter means in thedistributor housing can be more clearly illustrated in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated therein adistributor housing 10 carrying a distributor head 11 (FIG. 1) andprovided with a rotary distributor shaft 16' driven in a well knownmanner at a suitable transmission ratio from the crankshaft of theengine and extending into the interior of the distributor housing wherethe rotary shaft 16', which is turnable in a suitable bearing carried bythe distributor housing, is connected in a known way with a rotary camto rotate the latter and thus make and break a circuit a given number oftimes for each revolution of the shaft 10', as is well known in the art.

A membrane housing 12 is located at the exterior of the distributorhousing 10, this housing 12 being carried by a suitable bracket which isfixed to the housing It), and the interior of the membrane housing onone side of the membrane therein is connected through a tubular fitting12' with an elongated duct or tube which in turn communicates with theinterior of the intake manifold of the engine, so that the position ofthe membrane in the housing 12 is determined in a well known manner bythe extent of suction in the intake manifold.

Directly behind the membrane housing 12 between the latter and thedistributor housing 10 is a capacitor 13 which is elongated and parallelto the shaft 10', and the lower or bottom end of the capacitor 13 issituated approximately at the same elevation as the bottom wall of thehousing 10. At its bottom end the capacitor 1-3 carries an electricallyconductive member which forms a connecting electrode by which thecapacitor is connected into the electrical circuit. An additionalbracket 13' fixes the capacitor 13 to the housing It at their exteriorthereof.

An electrical conductor means of the invention includes a pair ofbranches 14 and 24 both of which are adapted to be electricallyconnected with an interrupter in the distributor housing, as will beapparent from the description below, and the branch 24 is adapted to beconnected electrically with a source of primary current. The branch 14of the conductor means of the invention is connected electrically withthe electrically conductive member at the bottom end of the capacitor13.

The housing 11 is formed with a single opening for the conductor means,and while this single opening could be located at a side wall of thehousing 10, it is preferred to situate it at the bottom wall thereofsince in this way the electrical structure is protected to a greaterextent. In this single opening for the conductor means is located oninsulating member 19 in the form of a sleeve of electricallynon-conductive material having a fluid-tight engagement with the housing10, and this tubular member 19 may be made of a suitable plasticmaterial which is formed under pressure directly in the opening of thehousing 111 so as to have a very secure connection thereto.

The branches 14 and "24 of the conductor means extend through the bottomend of the insulating member '19 into the interior thereof where thebranches 14 and 24 are electrically connected with a connector member 15of a plug-and-socket type of electrical connection 15, 18. The member 19closely surrounds the elements 15, 14 and 25, and the connector element15 in the form of an elongated flat metal member projects upwardly fromthe member 19 to the interior of the housing where the member 15 isremovably received within the element 18 which corresponds to the socketof the plug-and-socket connection 15, 18. The element 18 itself is madeof metal and has its opposed side edges bent over to form a pair ofelongated channels which receive with a snug fit the opposed side edgesof the member 15, so that in this Way the elements 15 and 18 cooperateto provide an electrical connection when they matingly engage each otheras shown While element 18 whenever desired can he slipped off element 15to interrupt the electrical connection. The electrically conductiveconnector member 18 is electrically connected with one end of aconductor 16 the other end of which is electrically connected with theinterrupter lever 17 of the interrupter means which is located in thehousing 10. Thus, elements 14, 15, 16, 18 and 24 form an elongatedconductor means which has the branches 14 and 24, which is connectedelectrically with the interrupter means and which has the branch 14 connected electrically with the capacitor 13 While the branch 24 is adaptedto be connected with a source of primary current, and it will be notedthat with the structure of the invention only a single opening in whichthe member 19 is accommodated for guiding the conductor means isrequired. Moreover, the entire conductor means includes but a singlestructure 15, 18 which enables the conductor means to be interrupted andrejoined. The branches 14 and 24 can be joined to the connector 15 as bybeing soldered thereto.

Distributors which have centrifugal governors will have the opening forthe conductor means situated at a side wall of the housing 10;

As is apparent particularly from FIG. 2 the interrupter means in thehousing 11 includes an interrupter plate 20 concentric with thedistributor shaft and supported in the housing for turning movementabout the axis of the distributor shaft, and this interrupter plate 20of the interrupter means carries the interrupter lever '17 which isprovided with interrupter contact 17, and in addition the plate 20carries a stationary contact carrier 21 which carries the interruptercontact 21'. A link 22 is pivotally connected at one end to the plate 20and at its opposite end to the membrane in the housing 12, so that inthis way the membrane assembly forms a means operatively connected tothe interrupter plate 20, and thus the entire interrupter means, fordetermining the angular position thereof in the distributor housingaccording to the pressure in the intake manifold of the engine.

The plug-and-socket type of connection 15, :18 between the lever 17 andthe capacitor 13 at the wall of the distributor housing provides notonly an easy and convenient assembly of the parts when the distributoris mounted on the engine, but also a very convenient exchange ofcomponents whenever required.

It will he understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofdistributors differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied inelectrical connections for distributors, it is not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of thepresent invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a distributor for an internal combustion engine, in combination, adistributor housing formed with an opening; interrupter means turnablycarried by said housing; means carried by said housing at the exteriorthereof, adapted to be connected with the intake manifold of an engine,and operatively connected with said interrupter means for determiningthe angular position thereof in said housing according to the pressurein the intake manifold of the engine; a capacitor carried by saidhousing at the exterior thereof; a plug and socket type connector meanswith separable first and second parts one of which is fixed in saidopening; first flexible elongated electrical conductor means arrangedwithin said housing and connected electrically at one end with saidinterrupter means and at the other end to said first part of said plugand socket type connector means; two flexible branch conductor meansboth connected at one end to said second part of said plug and sockettype connector means and one of them connected at the other end to saidcapacitor and the other of them adapted to be connected at its other endto a source of primary current.

2. In a distributor for an internal combustion engine, in combination, adistributor housing formed with an opening; interrupter means turnablycarried by said housing in the interior thereof; means carried by saidhousing at the exterior thereof and operatively connected to saidinterrupter means for determining the angular position thereof in saidhousing according to the pressure in the intake manifold of an engine; acapacitor carried by said housing at the exterior thereof; anelectrically nonconductive member carried by said housing in saidopening thereof; an electrical plug-and-socket type of connecting meansincluding a pair of connector members one of which is carried by saidnon-conductive member and extends into the interior of said housing; anelectrical conductor connected electrically with said interrupter meansand carrying the other of said connector members so that a circuitincluding said interrupter means may be closed or opened by moving saidconnector members into or out of engagement with each other; and a pairof elongated electrical conductors connected electrically with said oneconnecter member and extending therefrom to the exterior of saidhousing, one of said pair of conductors being electrically connectedwith said capacitor and the other adapted to be connected to a source ofprimary current.

3. In a distributor as recited in claim 2, said electricallynon-conductive member being in the form of a sleeve of insulatingmaterial having a fluid-tight connection with said housing.

4. A distributor as recited in claim 1 and wherein said opening issituated at the bottom of said housing.

5. A distributor as recited in claim 1 and wherein said opening issituated at the side of said housing.

6. In a distributor as recited in claim 1 and including an insulatingmember fixed to and covering part of said one electrically conductiveelement, said insulating member extending through said opening of saidhousing in sealing engagement therewith.

7. In a distributor as recited in claim 1, an electricallynon-conductive guide member carried by said housing in said openingthereof for guiding said conductor means therethrough.

8. In a distributor for an internal combustion engine, in combination, adistributor housing formed with an opening; interrupter means turnablycarried by said housing; means carried by said housing at the exteriorthereof, adapted to be connected with the intake manifold of an engine,and operatively connected with said interrupter means for determiningthe angular position thereof in said housing according to the pressurein the intake manifold of the engine; a capacitor carried by saidhousing at the exterior thereof; a plug and socket type connector meanswith separable parts, one of which is fixed in said opening in saiddistributor housing; first flexible elongated electrical conductor meansarranged within said distributor housing connected at one end thereofelectrically to said interrupter means and connected at the other endthereof electrically to the other separable part of said plug and sockettype connector means, so as to be separably connected to said one partof said plug and socket type connector means which is fixed in saidopening; and second flexible elongated electrical conductor meansarranged outside of said distributor housing and connecting said onepart of said plug and socket type connector means with said capacitor,said second flexible elongated electrical conductor means including alsoconnector means adapted to be connected to a source of primary current.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,326,113 8/1943Zoerlein et al 200-19 2,923,785 2/1960 Longenecker 200l9 FOREIGN PATENTS1,067,433 1/1954 France.

927,131 5/ 1963 Great Britain.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

25 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Examiner.

1. IN A DISTRIBUTOR FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, IN COMBINATION, ADISTRIBUTOR HOUSING FORMED WITH AN OPENING; INTERRUPTER MEANS TURNABLYCARRIED BY SAID HOUSING; MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AT THE EXTERIORTHEREOF, ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD OF AN ENGINE,AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID INTERRUPTER MEANS FOR DETERMININGTHE ANGULAR POSITION THEREOF IN SAID HOUSING ACCORDING TO THE PRESSUREIN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD OF THE ENGINE; A CAPACTOR CARRIED BY SAID HOUSINGAT THE EXTERIOR THEREOF; A PLUG AND SOCKET TYPE CONNECTOR MEANS WITHSEPARABLE FIRST AND SECOND PARTS ONE OF WHICH IS FIXED IN SAID OPENING;FIRST FLEXIBLE ELONGATED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEANS ARRANGED WITHIN SAIDHOUSING AND CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY AT ONE END WITH SAID INTERRUPTERMEANS AND AT THE OTHER END TO SAID FIRST PART OF SAID PLUG AND SOCKETTYPE CONNECTOR MEANS; TWO FLEXIBLE BRANCH CONDUCTOR MEANS BOTH CONECTEDAT ONE END TO SAID SECOND PART OF SAID PLUG AND SOCKET TYPE CONNECTORMEANS AND ONE OF THEM CONNECTED AT THE OTHER END TO SAID CAPACITOR ANDTHE OTHER OF THEM ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED AT ITS OTHER END TO A SOURCEOF PRIMARY CURRENT.